The politics of anger rules in a recessionary Ireland as political debate turns nasty

Dr James Reilly

Reasoned, insightful political debate is being overthrown by mob-rule. But he who shouts loudest is not always right, writes Paul Allen

The country is once again in the grip of the ‘politics of the angry.’

Indeed, even as Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore declared confidence in Minister Dr James Reilly, the smell of blood is in the air as people cry for another political scalp.

It is the era of the loudmouth where the ‘politics of anger’ shouts down the ‘politics of the answer’.

But with the heat being turned up on the Minister of Health we would do well to remember in any sport it is easy to shout from the sidelines. And it is no different when it comes to the greatest, the dirtiest and most gruelling sport of them all — politics.

The former GP, who was listed in Stubbs Gazette over an unpaid €1.8m debt, says he did not break any rules. Indeed, he set up his business affairs when he became Minister in line with advice from the Standards in Public Office Commission.

While there are obvious questions arising from the affair, if the Minister is found to have followed the rules, then blame the game not the player.

While the Committee on Procedure and Privileges (CPP) is still yet to start probing the propriety of the political classes, the need for such rigorous referees to ensure fair play in politics has once again been highlighted.

But the illusion that it is only the members of the main political parties that need this type of supervision has been recently shattered.

For years the members of the holier-than-thou Technical Group have been taking swipes at the mainstream parties, attacking their ethical records and constantly questioning their integrity. And, sometimes, rightly so; every parliament and political party needs to be held accountable.

But when the deeds of master tax cheat Mick Wallace finally made the headlines, it became obvious that cheating the system is not only in the gift of those belonging to Fianna Fail or Fine Gael.

The Independent Wexford TD has now refused to answer several questions from the Members' Interests Committee regarding the matter, casting an even longer shadow on his deeds.

However, while Wallace’s credibility rapidly crumbles, so does that of Socialist Party TDs Clare Daly and Joe Higgins, along with United Left Alliance TD Joan Collins after being found to have used their travel allowances to attend anti-household charge meetings outside their constituencies.

How can elected representatives spend public money trying to encourage people to break the law?

You would imagine that if one of the main political parties was found to have engaged in such highly questionable behaviour (to put the most positive spin possible on the actions of Daly, Higgins and Collins), the backlash would have been swift.

The fact is these members of the Technical Group have shown by their actions that while they might have been viewed as champions of the people, they are just as flawed as many of those they have berated over the years.

Pointing the finger of blame is easy, but holding a mirror up to your own actions can bring home many unwanted truths.

It would be amusing to think that the biggest impact these politicians who wanted to shake things up in Dáil Éireann will have made is underlining that even those with seemingly irreproachable reputations can fall foul of the high standards in political life.

Just like goal line technology will help referees and linesmen tighten up on the proper and correct regulation of soccer, the Irish political system will hopefully receive closer scrutiny from its new investigation committee.

So rather than having mob rule crying for heads to roll every time questions are raised over the activities of a politician, calm and reasoned insight will allow all to clearly see and assess if rules were broken. This will improve politics for all and make our system even more transparent. Because when it comes to playing dirty, being a member of a major political party is not a prerequisite.


*Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR

Irish voting on a Euro treaty that no one understands -- Language used in treaty is impossible for ordinary voter to understand

Irish leader Enda Kenny

The upcoming referendum is sadly more likely to be decided upon by raw emotion rather than hard facts, writes Paul Allen.

“A vote is like a rifle,” according to Theodore Roosevelt. “Its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”

The former US president’s words come to mind as our upcoming referendum is fast approaching. The reason is it seems the electorate is in danger of shooting its nose off to spite its face regardless of how they vote.

The reality is for the vast majority of us the last thing we will actually be voting on is the fiscal treaty.

While both sides of the yes and no divide have valid arguments, both are also slinging misinformation into the maelstrom.

The fact is regardless of whether you vote yes or vote no, austerity will continue. So the debate is being targeted at an emotional level. The yes cheerleaders are preying on our fear, while the no side are stoking our anger.

This vote will have major implications for the country and for future generations. Hence it needs to be made with the head rather than the heart. However, there is little chance of that come Thursday.

The truth is, this conundrum is impossible for the Irish electorate to solve.

Winston Churchill might have been embellishing things a tad when he declared, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter,” but when it comes to highly technical European treaties he has a very valid point.

Even the most enlightened economic, legal and political minds are arguing over the treaty and its potential impact. The truth of the matter is the majority of voters are just not in a position to understand the treaty.

Are you going to vote on Thursday? Have you read the treaty? The truthful answer is most likely “no.” So how can a nation go to the polls to potentially decide our children’s future without having read the precise nuts and bolts of the treaty they will be voting on?

The reason is because the language used is impenetrable to all but those versed in EU political legalese or, as it is more commonly known, Euro Babble.

The Irish Constitution is something to be treasured but its flaw is that it allows the people to decide on issues that they are not in a position to make well-judged and informed decisions on. We are swayed by emotion and by the general mood, but the hard cold facts are generally the last things we cling to.

This is why there is so much hysteria surrounding Thursday’s vote, not only in Ireland but also in Europe. It is telling that other European governments don’t throw such treaties to the public for them to be torn to shreds in a cloud of misinformation. The result is while other nations in the EU rely on sober analysis, the Irish will decide on its future relationship with Europe depending on how angry or how scared the majority of us are this coming Thursday. Regardless of the outcome, that is something we should all regret.

Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen andAssociates PR, www.prireland.com.

Why Irish media bias is under attack by government ministers and critics

Pat Rabbitte speaking to the press

While tighter regulation is necessary, the traditional media is best placed to help police more balanced and unbiased news reporting.

Is our media too self-obsessed? Well, according to Minister of Communications Pat Rabbitte it is. He believes that, “no other sector of society has the same ability or willingness to elevate their office politics to national news.”

However, many believe the problem with the media is that it is not self-obsessed enough. This is because, unlike the other areas of society it so vigorously investigates, it rarely turns the spotlight on its own operations in any meaningful way.

Minister Rabbitte has rightly made it his mission to improve standards in the television, radio and newspaper sectors, particularly in the wake of the highly damaging and defaming Prime Time Investigates ‘A Mission To Pray’ programme.

It is of little surprise the knives are out for RTE and the media in general after the botched hack job on Father Kevin Reynolds.

RTE became a little too self-assured and over-confident, letting its position as a big fish in a small pond go to its head.

But, according to the Minister, the likes of RTE and other big players are in for a wake-up call because he believes the future of the media in Ireland will be poorer, more democratic and online.
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However, while there is little doubt the media will continue to become more fragmented, the big players of today will not only be the top dogs for many years to come, but are also best placed and have the resources to help police a policy of more balanced and fair reporting.

But while such a policy is relatively easy to put on paper, the Minister needs to be aware that changing the very culture of news reporting is far more difficult.

The media has always thrived on bad news. Not so surprising given this constant diet of conflict and drama draws a large audience and, in turn, advertisers. Good news is boring and not good for business, just ask Joe Duffy.
  
All media loves drama. And like in most good dramas, it loves nothing more than shouldering blame on a dastardly villain.

Once this blame is apportioned, reporting and editorial comment becomes highly skewed and biased.

RTE’s unfair, unbalanced and unethical coverage concerning Father Kevin Reynolds had its birth in the fact that the burden of proof was deemed less important when it came to a priest thanks to the sins of the Catholic Church.

Politicians also suffer from the sins of others. And when they are frequently harangued live on air by presenters seemingly more interested in scoring points than uncovering the facts, it feeds into and re-enforces a public mood distrustful of our political classes.


Fake tweets, on air bullying and skewed coverage has not only affected RTE, but has impacted on our media’s ability to help us develop a balanced understanding of critical news stories.

This results in emotionally driven reactions to the collapse of the Celtic Tiger, the performance of our government and our relationship with the EU.

While this is never a good thing, it becomes more problematic when we are faced with the upcoming vote on the European fiscal stability treaty referendum.

The reality is that empowering the existing media to better balance the inherent bias of all journalism, is far more effective than waiting for a time far in the future when the status quo in the sector might change.

How Minister Rabbitte proceeds is of critical importance because, we need a media that not only has the power, but also the resources to reflect the truth as clearly as possible. This is highly important because if we cannot view the past and present with unbiased clarity, our view of the future will always be worryingly skewed.

The shameful truth behind the Mahon Tribunal - report a whitewash and a waste of time and money

Bertie Ahern

After a decade and a half of foreplay the one thing the findings of the Mahon tribunal have underlined is that we have all been taken for a ride.

How can any democracy justify squandering millions of euro on the biggest investigation into corruption the state has ever witnessed to tell us all what the dogs the in street have known for years?

Not that it comes as a huge surprise, but the minimum most people were expecting was for former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to be officially tarred and feathered.

However, simply stating Bertie “failed to truthfully account for” a wedge of cash that passed though bank accounts connected with him is hardly the knockout blow to his reputation many were hoping for.

It would be any spin doctor’s daydream to have such unspecific language used against their client. You would think after all the filthy lucre shoveled into the tribunal over the years it could have at least bought a set of teeth. But rather than dishing out a true mauling the best this toothless tiger could muster was a slap on the wrist that more or less accused the former Taoiseach of not playing ball and being a bit of a scallywag.

Indeed, the only thing the Mahon Tribunal has achieved is to confirm for those that may have forgotten that the Banana Republic is alive and well.

While Enda Kenny was doing us all proud earlier this week in the US as he charmed President Barack Obama and told all who would listen that modern, sleek Ireland is bouncing back and very much open for business, the evidence would appear to undermine him.

Yes, Ireland will recover from the recession and most likely, in economic terms at least, bounce back leaner and meaner than ever before, but the undeniable truth is that our country will remain broken.

How can we justify spending so much effort and cash on what has amounted to be a total waste of time? Why is someone that has “failed to truthfully account” for something not been branded a liar? Why has no one been prosecuted? The sad reason is that in Ireland we prefer sugarcoated double-speak rather than the uncomfortable truth.
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The onus is now on the current Government to ensure such a travesty of time wasting never happens again. If someone is guilty, then drag them through the courts and throw them in jail. We can no longer afford expensive white elephants such as the Mahon tribunal and the Irish public should no longer stomach them.

In a time of austerity it is simply sinful the even contemplate ever again squandering cash on such costly circuses. Just like the only meaningful thing the Seaned produces on a yearly bases is enough hot air to float the egos of overpaid part time politicians who love the sound of their own voice, tribunals have also proved they are well past their sell-by date.

The findings of the Mahon Tribunal should be used as a wake up call for a nation that loves pointing the finger and looking for scapegoats. We need to demand a system where the privileged and wealthy actually have something to fear from fiddling the system.

The sad truth today however is that it is not Bertie Ahern that should be ashamed of himself, but all of us for hoping this charade would change anything.

Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR, www.prireland.com.

Enda Kenny's 'State of the Nation' address - more than words? - VIDEO

Enda Kenny

The Taoiseach’s ‘state of the nation’ speech was more a poor exercise in public relations than a worthwhile political statement.

Enda Kenny was going to be damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. People wanted the truth, but the fact is people can’t handle the truth.

The Taoiseach’s ‘state of the nation’ address turned out to be the “this is going to hurt” pep talk a dentist might give before extracting teeth. We all knew regardless of how soft and palatable his words, the after affect was going to hurt like hell.

However, this carefully stage-managed affair suffered from one key blunder. While Enda’s tone was soft and his facial gestures gentle and compassionate, his two clenched fists placed on the desk in front of him told the truth of his internal turmoil.

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The Taoiseach knew his hands were tied. That is why his speech was far from a direct, comprehensive and truthful evaluation of where the country stands given Europe’s turmoil. Instead, it was a healthy serving of clichés all-round.

“We live in exceptional times,” we were told, “and face exceptional challenges.” Later on it was the tired “difficult choices are never easy.” Thankfully we were spared “there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

Charlie Haughey’s state of the nation address was remembered for all the wrong reasons, so Fine Gael’s handlers presumably wanted to ensure Enda’s speech did not leave such a lasting impression.

So, as is the problem with most political speeches, it was light on content and heavy on ‘stating the bleeding obvious’.

We were told that jobs are central to this budget because “work plays such an essential role in our lives.” Truly insightful stuff indeed.

But Enda went further — “Work gives us focus. Work gives us independence. Work gives our families hope and confidence.”

Now those sentences should have had black hoods thrown over them, been taken outside and then shot along with what ever clown wrote them.

There is certainly something about Enda, but it is not his charisma. By his own admission he is not a great orator, so by spurting out such drivel he tended to come across a little on the patronising side.

The production was also extremely poor from the camera angle to the lighting. Indeed, when one considers the magnificent room in which Enda was sitting and the Michael Collins painting which hangs over the fireplace, sadly the Taoiseach looked more like he was sitting in the courtroom of Judge Judy than a magnificent state office.

Even though Enda promised this was going to be a “job’s budget,” the truth of the matter is governments don’t create jobs. All governments can do is create the environment to create jobs and in fairness some of the steps briefly outlined could well go towards achieving this.

But the truth that may have been lurking between Enda’s clenched fists is that this budget is more to do with appeasing the Bundesbank rather than the people of Ireland.

The Taoiseach did make it clear that “as an island nation we cannot operate in isolation” and underlined the importance of our membership of the EU. However, he did not tackle the fact that until the catastrophe that hangs over the Euro is diverted and Europe gets its economy back on track, there is little we can do but tighten our belts and keep our fingers crossed.

Mary Lou McDonald accused Enda’s address of being merely “a softening up exercise.” This analysis is bang on. And it certainly was successful given the 1.1 million people who tuned in.

In fact, it is a pity RTE do not run repeats of Enda’s address to help prop up its Christmas schedule. This would not only help boost viewership figures, but would be very cost effective. In fact, they could intersperse it with apologies to Father Reynolds.

As I have recently discovered the people of Ireland are truly sick to the back teeth of RTE’s overpaid stars, so maybe a daily dose of Enda might make them realize you get what you pay for.

Here's a video of Enda's 'State of the Nation' address:

It’s Time for Occupy Dame Street to quit too - Reality check for Irish protesters and politicians needed

Aerial view of Occupy Dame Street protest

Irish people need to stop sitting and whinging on the sidelines if they truly want to affect change.


The days of Occupy Dame Street appear to be numbered. The Central Bank has finally had enough of the squatters camping on its doorstep and is rumoured to be seeking a Court Order to put an end to the protest.

The camp has been in situ for six weeks now and the only thing it has achieved is to show how lacking in ideas the movement has been.

It has no alternative plan, no suggestions nor indeed any tangible ideas of note.

This “leaderless resistance movement” if anything has only highlighted how the angst of a nation cannot be harnessed by sitting in a tent.

If people want change then they need to join together, formulate ideas and use the system to affect that change. The problem, however, is it is a lot easier to set up camp and moan from the sidelines.

Senator David Norris was the only Presidential candidate to visit the protestors. He was met with naive idealists who shouted garbage rather than put across coherent ideas, such as possible alternatives to the IMF and EU.
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As proceedings drifted into complete farce the Senator asked if there was anyone in charge to help direct dialogue. “There is no one in charge, we are all individuals!” came the seemingly well-rehearsed response. Individuals indeed.

Another asked the Senator, “Are you a sovereign man?” What the hell did this mean? We asked and nobody replied.

Like it or not we live in a democracy. So when we complain that the Government is raising VAT, slashing social welfare or reducing child benefit, it is not good enough to mutter into your pint or set up a tent outside the Central Bank.

If people don’t like what they see, they need to come up with viable alternatives. They need to put their principles on the line. Just like Luke “Ming” Flanagan has done. He is hardly a political insider, but has shown if you have determination and the support of your community you can get elected and try to make change.

While the Dublin 4 brigade scoff and chuckle at Ming as he cries, “blessed are the turf cutters”, at least he is pushing for change for his community.

Sadly, Irish people seem to prefer wallowing in despair and pointing the finger.

Indeed, while they are the very ones who voted in this new Government, they are seemingly amazed at the proposed toughness of the forthcoming budget.

There was a great quote from Monday morning’s breakfast programme on Newstalk, when presenter Ivan Yates bellowed, “This shower are as bad as the last Government!”

But when voters replaced one establishment centre-right political party for another establishment centre-right political party, what did they expect?

To hear Ivan Yates say on Newstalk that he was shocked that the new Government appears to be no different than the last one is somewhat disingenuous. As a former Fine Gael cabinet minister, Mr Yates would be only too aware that once Civil War politics is taken out of the argument few could credibly argue substantial policy differences between FF and FG when it comes to economics.
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Labour too, in its collation with FG, has woken up to the necessity of tough measures to ensure we have an economy worth fighting for in the coming years.

At present people seem anti everything, but most of all they are anti-reality. Ireland is experiencing one of its toughest challenges and the fact is those that can do and those that can’t sit in a tent.

It is time for Irish people to grow up. As Mary Robinson said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new beginning.”

But those on Dame Street might be starting to realise this cannot be achieved from inside a tent.


Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR, www.prireland.com